Thursday, 4 July 2013

The eyes are our window to the world and when infected is a painful experience both physically and psychologically. Eye infections are diverse and encompass the entire eye both externally and internally. The cause of eye infections is usually a virus, bacteria or fungi. Examples of common eye infections are conjunctivitis and styes.

Here is a list of some major contributors to eye infections:

Unhygienic habits - Irregular bathing habits and poor personal hygiene is by far the major culprit in case of eye infections. Maintain good hygiene, always take care of yourself with a good wash. Bathe at least once a day. Wash your hands and face when going to and fro from home and office. Make a habit of washing your hands whenever coming from the restroom and especially after using public restrooms. Keep soap strips handy always for emergencies.

Contact lenses - A great invention that improves a person's aesthetic appearance however it is another cause of eye infections. Again poor hygiene related to contact lens maintenance can cause irritation and infection from germs that get onto the lens. Use of a lens cleaner is a must to prevent these germs from getting into the eye.

Foreign bodies - Dust particles and other objects that roam freely in the air can contaminate the outer eye and lead to an infection especially if the foreign body is something dangerous like polluted smoke or water. Chlorine in swimming pools usually tends to redden the eyes of swimmers. In some cases the irritation may persist unless treated effectively.

Insect bites - Insects are also culprits as most insect bites contain toxins that lead to swelling, pain and discomfort. Riding a motorcycle or a trip in the wilderness can be really fun but insect bites are something to watch out for.

Allergies and weak immune system- Some people are prone to allergies and need to be careful about what they eat as some food that they eat may cause allergies to manifest as eye infections. People with weak immune system who are prone to catching infections and disease are most at risk along with people who are prone to allergies.

Sexually transmitted infections - Some types of Herpes and other STD viruses may come into contact with the eye after sexual contact. It is alway better to be careful and take adequate precaution to wash up immediately after sexual contact to eliminate the risk of contaminating the eye.

Trauma - Any accident of or near the eye can lead to minor or major infection of the inner or outer eye. This may be an extreme cause of eye infection and in this case the eye may be irreparably damaged.

Simple steps are always the best to thwart any disease as most disease are contagious and germs thrive on being transmitted from person to person. The simplest of solution is always the best. Maintaining good hygiene is the best way to prevent eye infections and for that matter any contagious disease.

Friday, 15 March 2013

Gone are the days when eye surgery, glasses or contact lenses were the only ways to improve contrast sensitivity. Playing action video games, involving the killing of opponents have come up as a new remedy for improving the eyesight and the contrast sensitivity as claimed by a new research study. Contrast sensitivity is important in situations like driving at night as it enables a person to notice the subtle changes of light and dark against a uniform background. It is one of the first and the most prominent aspects of vision which is affected by ageing and is generally found in individuals suffering from amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye.

The study published in Nature Neuroscience shows that action video games can improve players’ performance on contrast sensitivity tests as players have to react to unpredictable events occurring in the form of visual signals in the virtual world of the game. The researchers from Rochester University in New York, Goldschleger Eye Research Institute and Tel Aviv University in Israel also believe that their new findings clearly prove that contrast sensitivity function is affected not only by deterioration in the eye itself, but also in the signals coming from brain.

In their study, they drew comparison between the reactions of a group of seasoned gamers with a group of the same age people who did not play computer games often. They also performed an experiment in which small samples of non-gamers were asked to play intensively for 50 hours over nine weeks. The volunteers played either a fighting game, Unreal Tournament 2004, or a Shoot-Em-Up, Call of Duty 2, and the results were compared with another group who played more sedate games for the same time duration. Those playing action games showed improvement between 43 and 58 per cent in discerning contrasts, a rise not visible in the other group. Scientists are very optimistic and feel positive that action video-game training can one day be used as an alternative to eye-correction techniques and treat certain eye disorders such as amblyopia.